The Wood family of Haverhill, owners of Antique World on Washington Street in downtown Haverhill, are the new owners of Kimball Tavern.

Bradford construction contractor Cale Wood's winning bid was $190,000, and with the 10 percent buyers premium, he, along with his father, Craig, and uncle Harold will pay $209,000 for the 17th century building at 2 Salem St. in Bradford. The property is assessed at $795,000.

Eager bidders and people curious about the outcome filled a front room in the tavern Thursday afternoon, Nov. 20, for the auction. Some hoped to become the new owners, while many more just wanted to be present when that new owner was named.

The historic property, where local farmers and mill owners gathered in 1803 to sign the charter to create what was Bradford College, was sold in an absolute auction to the highest bidder, meaning the owner, AG/GFI Bradford, set no minimum selling price.

It was the last piece of the Bradford College campus that AG/GFI purchased when the school was forced to close due to financial problems.

Auctioneer Justin J. Manning started with an opening bid of $75,000.

Bid after bid was placed cautiously as Manning attempted to raise the most he could for the sellers.

Nine people actively bid throughout the half-hour long auction.

Cindy Tierney, Cale Wood's aunt who co-owns Antique World, said she and her family have already have a plan for the space.

"We're hopefully going to restore it to its original state," Tierney said. "Hopefully we'll open an antique shop down the road. We want to preserve this historic landmark."

The building is zoned for a residence, so the family will have to apply for and receive a variance from the city to use it for a business.

Although Manning, CFO and president of J.J. Manning Auctioneers, said he would have liked to see the property sell for more, the outcome wasn't a surprise.

"My estimate was that it was going to go in the 200,000's," he said. Restoring the building could cost another $200,000, however.

"With all the work that needs to be done down here, I think it's a fair price."